Researchers at Microsoft have discovered that tools first developed to fight email spam can be applied in helping to understand how the process by which HIV mutates to avoid attack by the immune system.
Microsoft Researchers David Heckerman and Jonathan Carlson were asked to help AIDS researchers in Africa to make sense of data …

Microsoft's algorithms were useful in understanding the mutation of HIV

Spamcop

If it offers any consolation, I managed to completely automate Spamcop spam submissions from spamtraps and high scoring spam, while also going to [email protected] and coldrain.net, my rbl and firewall.

At around 2-3,000 messages per day it's a drop in the ocean, but it gives some satisfaction.

Given that only 1 or 2 spams survive, which are then reported manually, I'm really wondering why the scum still bothers.

Even with spamcop sending billions of alerts to ISPs, the vast majority of them do sod all.

"Given that only 1 or 2 spams survive, which are then reported manually, I'm really wondering why the scum still bothers."

'Cause it pays. Even a vanishingly small rate of return is still profitable when you aren't paying any expenses to speak of. And the number of folks dumb enough to believe that if they send a bunch of Russian mobsters their credit card number, they will actually get Viagra from Canada in return is surprisingly high.

"Even with spamcop sending billions of alerts to ISPs, the vast majority of them do sod all."

'Cause it pays. Abuse teams at ISPs not only don't generate revenue, they COST revenue. ISPs make money from hosting sites, irrespective of what the content of those sites may be. They have a powerful financial incentive to support spammers. Some of that money going to the Russians also ends up in the ISP's pocket, so why would they do anything about it?